The Two La Flagas
by KatDrama
Summary: If you love Mu, then this storys for u! "Moo-moo!" The woman plowed into Lieutenant La Flaga. "What!" Mu shoved the woman away like she was crazy. The blonde woman put on a pouting face. "C'mon, don't tell me you don't remember your own twin sister!
1. Phase 01

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way claim Gundam Seed. If I did I would be rich and I wouldn't be sitting here writting this in between stacking loads of wood. So, needless to say, someone else owns it, not me. (I do, however, claim any original charcaters that I add to this story)

**The Two La Flagas**  
  
**Phase: 01**

**Written by: KatDrama   
**  
Kira Yamato, a young coordinator trapped in a war that he desperately didn't want to be in, sighed half-heartedly as he monitored the systems of his all-purpose Gundam, the Strike. _Everything seems to check out_. He almost yawned as he settled back farther into the pilot's chair. Dreamily he stared at the monitor to the side. Beside him flew the very ship he was protecting. The Archangel was quite a sight from the outside. Its metallic surface glinted in the low light of space.  
  
A sudden beeping brought the boy from gazing at the ship. Instantly he directed his eyes to the console in front of him. The computer was telling him that there was an object just ahead. With a flip of switch Kira brought the object to be viewed on his screen. _A life pod_...he realized. _Great, Natarle's going to love me for this_. He sighed. He really didn't have to debate over whether or not to drag the pod in, because his conscience would just not allow him to leave innocent people floating in space. But, he did have to think about the consequences. In the end his morals won and he flew the Strike alongside the pod and latched unto it.  
  
Moments later, Kira shook his hair loose as he removed his helmet and floated out of the Strike's cockpit in the belly of the ship.  
  
The head mechanic laughed up at him. "Another life pod? Ensign Badgiruel's gonna love this."  
  
"Tell me about it." Kira mumbled as he glided over to the big doors at the edge of the room where a communicator panel was conveniently stationed. Just as he was floating over Lieutenant La Flaga's mobile armor he shouldn't have been surprised to see none other than the Lieutenant pop out of the cockpit, but as his mind was preoccupied, Mu's sudden appearance made him swerve off course.  
  
"Hey, kid! What's the hurry?" The Lieutenant's features were smiling with amazement, as usual.  
  
"I have to report something to Lieutenant Ramius." Kira stated over his shoulder as he continued on his journey to the door. (One of the disadvantages of 0-gravity was that it was nearly impossible to get anywhere fast.)  
  
"Huh?" Mu turned his blonde head to stare at the life pod. "Oh-hoh." He chuckled as he effortlessly pushed himself out of his mobile armor.  
  
Finally reaching his destination, Kira pushed down the button that opened the communication link.  
  
"Bridge." The voice said.  
  
"This is Kira, I..."  
  
"Kira! What are you doing in the ship? I thought you were on patrol!" Miriallia bluntly observed.  
  
"I was, but..." Kira became slightly flustered, not quite sure how to break the news. He sighed and let it all out. "I found a life pod." In the background Kira was sure he could hear Ensign Badgiruel groan "not again!" Kira gulped guiltily, knowing that he was in for being caught between another argument between the Ensign and the acting Captain.  
  
On the bridge, Murrue leaned over Miriallia's shoulder and pressed the reply button. "Understood, we're on our way." The acting captain sighed as she noticed the rock hard look on Ensign Badgiruel's face. _Not again_...she groaned. _Poor Kira, he means well, but if only he understood the complications of such a seemingly simple thing.  
  
_A few moments later an assortment of grumbling crewmembers congregated around the life pod. Kira stood quietly to the side, hoping no one would notice the pilot and take out their frustrations on him.  
  
"Well?" Lieutenant Ramius stood up as straight and commanding as she could.  
  
The head mechanic turned to face the acting captain. "It appears to be a ZAFT life pod." He confirmed.  
  
Instantly murmurs began to build around the group. Would Ramius allow them to open it? Murrue sighed, taking action before Ensign Badgiruel voiced her opinion would be the best. With a wave of her hand, the acting captain quieted the small crowd and brought forth several guards bearing guns pointed at the pod's opening. "Proceed to open it." She nodded to the mechanic.  
  
With a push of a button the hatch on the pod withdrew and a small cloud of steam billowed forth. Coughing, the gunners maintained their position. In a matter of minutes they could make out a few figures moving in the darkness. Curious onlookers could not make out much but the sound of a fight broke through the silence and a man in a ZAFT uniform flew out of the pod and landed cold on the floor.  
  
Wiping a trickle of blood from her mouth with her handcuffed hands, a tall woman with short glossy bangs and a long blonde ponytail wearing a long dark trench coat pushed off from the inside of the ship, followed closely by a man, also handcuffed, wearing the uniform of an Earth Alliance Admiral.  
  
"Admiral Smith!" Lieutenant Ramius saluted as soldiers rushed to his aid.  
  
"Glad someone recognizes me, sorry that I do not have the same pleasure, Captain..." The man gestured, indicating that he was not familiar with to whom he was speaking.  
  
"Ah...Acting Captain Lieutenant Murrue Ramius of Earth Forces Sector 2, 5th Special Division." Ramius continued saluting.  
  
As the Earth Forces officers extended greetings and explanations, the woman floated over the crowd, her long, unkempt hair rolling in waves until a blonde headed man caught her attention. "Moo-moo?" She crazily flew into Lieutenant Mu La Flaga's arms.  
  
"What?" Mu pushed the woman away like she was insane.  
  
The woman put on an indignant face. "C'mon, don't tell me you don't remember your own sister!" She pouted.  
  
Mu La Flaga's eyes grew wide. "Miru?!" He ecstatically hugged the lady and twirled around delightfully until she begged him to stop. Breathing contentedly the Lieutenant held his long lost twin sister out at arms length, taking in the changes that she had undergone since he had last laid eyes on her. "I haven't seen you since Military Academy!" Mu stated. "After we graduated I totally lost track of you! What happened? What were you doing in a ZAFT life pod with the Admiral?"  
  
Mu's twin, Miru batted her eyelashes mysteriously. "But I've kept track of you, dear brother." She smiled and pushed away from her brother while leaving his questions unanswered. "So, this must be the Archangel." She gawked at the inside of the ship. Her eyes fell upon the Gundam in the corner and her hopes began to rise. "And this must be the Strike!"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Mu caught up with his sister and grabbed her arm. "The Strike and Archangel are supposed to be top military secrets. How do you know about them?" He looked into her eyes with a dire seriousness.  
  
Laughing, Miru floated gently down to the ground. "If I told you I'd have to kill you." She smirked.  
  
"You haven't changed one bit." Mu shook his head.  
  
"What, and you have?" Miru chuckled.  
  
"Lieutenant La Flaga!" Ensign Badgiruel shouted from across the room.  
  
"Yes?" Mu and Miru answered at the same time. Mu glared his sister down as she giggled. Yep, things were still the same.  
  
"Bring that...civilian in for interrogation." She commanded.  
  
"Right away, ma'am." Miru smiled as she pulled her little brother along.  
  
Ensign Badgiruel blinked. "I beg your pardon?" She looked from the dirty and bruised 'civilian' to the Lieutenant. The Lieutenant groaned and scratched the back of his neck.  
  
"Uh...Natarle, if you don't mind, I'd like to 'interrogate' this 'civilian'." Mu requested.  
  
"Why?" Natarle looked as if he had asked for permission to put a scorpion in his boot.  
  
"Because...I know her."  
  
"Mu Flaga..." Natarle tapped her foot.  
  
"Okay, okay. She's...my sister." He admitted.  
  
Miru came up from behind and latched unto her brother's shoulders. "That's right! Identical twin sister! I'm the older one, of course." She smiled, making a peace sign while leaning her head onto her bro's neck.  
  
Natarle's eye twitched awkwardly. Two La Flagas?!  
  
Mu's sister extended her still cuffed hand out towards the Ensign's. "The name's First Lieutenant Miru La Flaga of the Earth Force's Special 'C' Division."  
  
"Special 'C'? I've never heard of that Division..." The Ensign started.  
  
Miru drew in dangerously close to the officer. "And there's a good reason, too. If we could talk in a secure room I'd be more than happy to tell you all that I'm at freedom to do so." She whispered into her ear.  
  
"Uh...Lieutenant, why don't you take care to seeing that those handcuffs get removed and find accommodations for the Lieutenant until we can meet in private." The Ensign hurriedly ordered, a little afraid of the girl that seemed so humorous and carefree on the outside.  
  
"Yeah, Moo-moo! Get me out of these horrid things!" Miru pouted.  
  
"Moo-moo?" A pilot that had been sitting in the corner couldn't help but over hear the pet name. Kira came floating from the shadows and smacked the other pilot heartily on the back. "Moo-moo?!" He repeated, a smile turning up the corners of his lips.  
  
"Kid!" Mu grumbled, his temper starting to flare.  
  
"Hi!" The boy ignored his warnings and went on to introduce himself to the new lady. "I'm Kira Yamato." He extended his hand.  
  
The woman smiled as she accepted it warmly. "I know, you pilot the Strike, do you not?"  
  
Kira drew back. "H-how did you know?"  
  
Miru batted her eyelashes once more. "I just do." She then laughed evilly before latching back unto her brother. "C'mon, Moo-moo! Show me the ship!" She begged.  
  
"I wish you wouldn't call me that, Mey-mey." He replied jokingly.  
  
Miru sighed. "It's been a long time since you've called me that." She snuggled up close to her brother's chest.  
  
"Ah..." Mu looked around helplessly. He wasn't quite sure how to treat his older sister who had so abruptly landed into his world again. He tenderly wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight. "C'mon, let's get those 'cuffs off then we'll go find something to eat, neh?" He nudged her slightly. When she didn't move he looked down at her sweet face and smiled. She was fast asleep. So, maybe things hadn't changed much after all.  
  
--  
  
KatDrama: Okay, first off, thanks to all of you who are actually reading this! And secondly, I feel that I might as well tell you some more about Miru before you start bombarding me with questions:  
  
First off, her name is pronounced "Mey-roo". I was going to name her Muru (pronounced: moo-roo) but I thought that might get confused with Murrue so I scratched that idea. As far as her appearance she is an identical twin to Mu, so just picture Mu as a girl and you have Miru! All you hear of her clothing in this chapter is that she is wearing a big and dark trench coat, but since I might not be good about describing her clothing under the trench coat in future chapters I shall just tell you now. She has a scarf (I have yet to decide the colors of these clothing items, but I promise I will tell you as soon as I think of it. The rough sketches I made of her are only black and white and not that good cause I drew them in the car...) anywhoo-...bout the scarf, it is tied around her neck. Then she has a skintight tank top. Then she has pants with a belt. The pants go straight down to her knees, then the bulge out because they have to be tucked into her boots that go nearly up to her knees. And she has several gun holsters strapped on to her body, but those won't come in handy for a while...  
  
And the Admiral Smith? Just made up for this story. More on him later.  
  
Anywhoo- I know I've left you guys pretty confused right now, neh? But I promise that things will become clearer as the story proceeds. Let's see, shall I give you a preview?  
  
Preview of **Phase: 02**:  
  
As Ensign Badgiruel digs into Miru's past, Mu La Flaga is left wondering if there's something his sister is not telling him. Scenes of her last failed undercover mission that forced her, the Admiral and the ZAFT soldier into the life pod replay vividly in Miru's mind. She must go back to finish what she started, but will Lieutenant Ramius, or her brother for that sake, allow her too? What lies buried within your past, Gundam?!  
  
Now Review!!!!!  
  
(p.s. plz do not worry nor flame me if I don't update very often because I'm trying to finish two other stories and start their sequels before my readers mob me, but today I was having writer's block (as I have all to often) and I felt compelled to start this story that had been swimming in the back of my mind for quite some time)


	2. Phase 02

**Phase 02:  
**  
It was a simple enough mission for an expert like herself, but she couldn't help but feel like something was wrong. Everything was in position and plans were under way. Sitting beside her in the space cruiser, her partner, Shawn, was stuffing his face with jelly donuts. She looked down at herself. Her clothes were despicable, and if they weren't absolutely necessary she would never have worn them. The dark purple, skintight tank top revealed a little more of her than she had wished, and all the gun holsters strapped across her body were starting to get annoying. This had better work. Miru clenched her jaw tightly as she prepared to hail the incoming ZAFT military ship.   
  
"Are you ready?" She turned to face her partner who was wiping grape jelly off of his face.   
  
"As I'll ever be." Came the reply as the young man pulled a mask over his face and set a grey wig over his own hair.  
  
"Tiger Lily to unidentified craft: please state your name and purpose for being on this course or we will be forced to shoot you down." A warning voice spoke coldly over the com system.  
  
Miru smirked as she pressed the reply button. She sneered at the image on her screen. "This is Amarra, Space Pirate of the Condor. I have a proposition for you."   
  
There was a faint whispering and confiding in the background before a reply came. "What do you have in mind?" The young bridge officer spoke with a slight tremor in his voice.  
  
'Amarra' leaned forward in her seat. "I hear rumors of a new Gundam you are developing. I want my hands on one."  
  
"I'm sorry, ma'am, but the Gundams are not for sale." The boy stuttered.  
  
"Oh, but I believe I have the right price. You see, today I am graced with the presence of a certain Admiral of the Earth Forces. But, if you're not interested, it's your loss." The pirate shrugged nonchalantly.   
  
"Please hold on." The officer turned off the screen and turned to conference with his captain as to what action he should take. A moment later the screen flickered as his face reappeared. "My Commander will speak with you. Please dock in Bay 2."   
  
"I knew you would see it my way." Amarra batted her long eyelashes as she piloted the Condor in for a landing. It was actually a vessel that had been confiscated from a rebel Earth force, but of course, she didn't expect them to know that.  
  
Smoothly she reached down and pulled a gun from a holster around her hip. "Time to go to work." She aimed the weapon at her partner with a wink. "After you, Admiral Smith."  
  
Out in the bay, the Captain of the ship and several army officers awaited her. Guards came up to take the Admiral off of her hands. "Uh-uh-uh!" She waved her gun in a 'no-no' fashion. "Not until I see my half of the bargain."  
  
"Of course." The Captain smiled slyly. "Right this way." He gestured in a friendly way. Miru watched his face skeptically out of the corner of her eye as she hurried past him. They led the way to a docking bay where several new magnificent Gundams stood majestically. Armed to the T with armor to match they stood ready to face any who dared to cross their path. Amarra whistled as she stood on a catwalk overlooking the new machines.   
  
"They haven't been tested yet." The Captain strode up beside her. "But I'm sure that'd be no problem for the great Bounty Hunter of the Stars. Your exploits in battle have become well known and you are greatly wanted in many parts of the galaxy."   
  
"Huh?" Miru let her guard down to stare blankly at the captain. "You...give me too much credit." She tried to cover her confusion.  
  
"Nonsense." The Captain made a little motion with his hand. "I have personally seen you in battle, after all, it was you who destroyed nearly the entire 6th Special Ops fleet, was it not?" He glared the confused space pirate down. "I was there that day."  
  
There was a clicking of safety's being pushed offline as guards circled her. Thinking quickly Miru rushed to jump off of the catwalk, leaving her partner in the grasp of the enemy. Running swiftly she began to dash for the first mobile suit. Gun fire rang out and bullets whizzed past her, clipping her clothing now and then, one actually going through her long trench coat's tail. She was about to the cockpit of the mobile suit when she looked up to see a mechanic sitting on the head of the suit. Grinning he jumped down unto the climber, his force knocking them both to the ground. Miru gasped as all the air whooshed from her lungs. She stared unbelievably at the ground as the man continued to sit on her. Soon she felt herself being dragged away. Still in the daze one thing kept haunting her: _Damn! There goes my promotion!_  
  
-End flashback/dream sequence-  
  
Reality:   
  
In the shadows of the pale hall light blonde haired man sighed, gazing from the ragged toy in his hands to the sleeping beauty on the bunk across from him. He watched the graceful rise and fall of her chest and marveled at her beauty. He blinked in surprise when she stirred and rolled over, snoring ungracefully. Mu gave a slight chuckle as he drew his eyes away from his sister. He thumbed the toy in his lap thoughtfully. The fabric was old and faded, but he could still make out the distinct tabby pattern on the plush toy. It was a rag doll style cat, a memory of childhood. Mu rubbed its ears and sighed as he flopped back unto his own bunk. His eyelids began to droop slowly, and before he knew it, he too was sawing logs. In his mind a distant memory replayed:  
  
It was graduation day at the military academy. Spirits were as high as the limitless blue sky that seemed to stretch to unreachable bounds forever. Mu held his diploma in one hand and wrapped the other around his sister's shoulders for a few memorable photographs of them in their crisp new uniforms. After the snap of the flash Mu squeezed Miru's shoulder tight. "This is it, Mey-mey. The big day we've been waiting for all of our lives." His bright eyes looked into hers. They were equally happy.  
  
"So, where will you be going after this?" She turned to face her brother and clasped his hands excitedly in hers.   
  
Mu tilted his head and smiled ecstatically as he drew her in for another big hug. "I've got an offer as a rookie test pilot for newer fighter planes. How about you?"  
  
Miru's black eyelashes batted slowly and she gazed dangerously into her brother's eyes. "I'm joining a special forces team." She stated bluntly, giving off no real information.  
  
"Really." Mu looked amused. "And what are you going to specialize in?"  
  
"That's confidential." Miru poked her brother playfully in his ticklish spot. After a bout of laughter they both sighed and gazed longingly at each other, as the reality of what the day signified sunk in.  
  
"I guess we'll both be moving on." Miru summed it up. "We may never see each other again."  
  
Mu looked shocked as he held his sister out by her shoulders and looked sternly into her eyes. "Don't say things like that!" He shook her slightly. "Just because we're going different directions doesn't mean that we won't ever be together again. I mean, the military isn't forever. You have to retire sometime." He smiled light-heartedly.   
  
A slight sadness welled up inside the sibling's chest. "But, what if you or I get shot down in action?"   
  
"C'mon, you've got to stop thinking like that." Mu hugged her close again, allowing a small trail of tears to stain their uniforms. "We'll live. As long as you have a will to live, you will. If you ever find yourself in a tough situation where all hope seems lost, just tell yourself you have to survive, for me. I'll do the same thing." He sniffed.  
  
Sadly they said a last farewell to good friends and teachers before heading back to their tiny apartment to pack. There was a mutual silence as the twins stuffed their treasured belongings into compact suitcases the size of a small microwave oven. Miru stopped and reflected momentarily when her hands fell upon her old friend, "Mewser". Her Aunt Tabitha had given the stuffed cat to her on her fifth birthday. Since then she had treasured the adorable plush toy with all her heart. It was the lone survivor that told of her childhood. With a parting kiss and a stroke on the head, Miru walked across the small room to where her brother stooped over his suitcase, trying to get the clasps closed on the overly stuffed bag.  
  
"Moo-moo?" Miru stepped softly forward.   
  
"Yeah?" Mu's face began to flush a deep hue of red. Beads of sweat lined his determined face as he pushed down with all his might on the suitcase.  
  
"I...I want you to have Mewser." She extended the floppy toy forwards.  
  
"What?!" Mu turned around. The suitcase sprung open and his clothes scattered all over the room. A pair of underwear landed on his head. Quickly whipping the offending garment off he stared unbelievably at his sister.  
  
"Keep him, to remember me by." She set her beloved cat in his palm. "Every night, before you go to bed, give him a hug and a kiss, and think of me."  
  
"But Miru, I can't!" He began to protest. "You love Mewser!"  
  
Miru sighed. "Where I go I cannot take him."  
  
"Well, here." Mu whipped back to his bed and reached under his pillow, dragging out an equally worn plush toy. "Have Mooser." He held out a ragged plush black and white cow that had been given to him on his fifth birthday.   
  
"No...Mu..." Miru held her hands up to stop her brother.  
  
"An exchange. I will keep Mewser to remember you by and you will take Mooser. That way every night we will be forced to remember each other and that we are living for each other. And maybe someday, when we are old and retired we will meet up again and exchange them back, along with our war stories." He smiled.  
  
Hesitantly, Miru grasped the cow in her hands. "All right, Moo-moo." She nodded satisfied. "Goodbye, little brother, until that day." She stood in the doorway, suitcase in hand. Blowing a kiss she turned and left.  
  
"Goodbye, sis."   
  
-end flashback/dream sequence-  
  
Mu sat up straight in bed. The sound of running water had awakened him. How long had he been asleep? He glanced quickly over at his sister's bed, only to see the crumpled sheets. "What the?" He jumped up. "Miru?"  
  
Off in his bathroom he could hear the shower running and an unmistakable female voice singing at the top of her lungs. "Yo ho ho! A private's life for me!" Mu smiled. It was an old military spin off of the sea faring song, adapted to the life of those who lived in the modern day service. He relaxed and sat back down on his bunk for a time before he got up and knocked on the bathroom door. "Hey, Miru?" He shouted through the door.  
  
"Yeah?" The singing stopped and the voice answered.  
  
"We are on water rations right now, and you're sort of using all of my water rights up." He remarked.   
  
"Oh, sorry." Almost instantly he heard the faucet being cranked off and the drizzle of water came to a stop. But the horrible singing continued before "hey, Moo-moo? Do you have any clothes I can borrow? My outfit is not quite mandatory, if you know what I mean."  
  
Mu's eyes nearly bugged out. Sighing he walked over to his trunk and pulled out an extra uniform. "Yeah." He had always hated his sister's idea of borrowing his clothes, and normally he would refuse, but she HAD just come off a life pod and who knows what else she had been through before that, so this time he just grudgingly complied. Sliding the door open a few inches he threw the mostly white uniform through.  
  
In a few moments the door slid completely open and a vat of steam poured forth. "Ah." Miru smiled as she dried her hair. "I haven't bathed since who knows when." The uniform was a bit big for her feminine body, and in some parts it sagged. In fact the only reason the pants stayed up was because of the belt, but that was beside the fact. Humming a little tune, Miru reached up and began to unwind her hair scruncie from her ponytail. Mu gasped in surprise as the entire ponytail detached from her head and she laid it on a towel to dry. Miru turned around to smile at her brother, her wet, shoulder length hair astonishing the man.  
  
"What?" She stared cluelessly at her brother, like it was normal for someone to remove his or her hair whenever he or she wished.   
  
"Y-y-your hair!" Mu stuttered.  
  
"Oh, that." Miru adopted a pleasing smile. "It was part of my disguise, but I don't need it now."  
  
Mu's eyebrow rose. "Disguise?"  
  
Miru flipped her hair as if nothing were out of the ordinary. "Yeah, my last alias was as a blood thirsty space pirate, but turns out the name I used was that of an actual space pirate, and one of the ZAFT's most wanted list, too. That's why they captured me."  
  
"Alias? Miru, what on earth do you do for a living?!" Mu started.  
  
"I'll tell ya later. Do you know where a person can get some grub around here?" Miru rubbed her grumbling stomach to show her point.  
  
"Oh, yeah." Mu scratched the back of his head. "I forgot about that, let's go." He flung the toy he still clutched unto his bed.  
  
Miru's bright blue eyes widened at the familiar sight. She nearly dove to catch her long lost plushie before it touched the bed. "Mewser!" She exclaimed, hugging the bedraggled cat to her chest. Tenderly she traced the tabby's worn features. "You still have him!"   
  
"Yeah, I never forgot. But I gave up giving it hugs and kisses after one of my many roomies back in the day found out." He rubbed the back of his neck. "But I still kept it, just for you."  
  
"Oh, Moo-moo." She sidled up to her brother and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "You're the best."  
  
"So, where's my end of the bargain?" Mu looked skeptical.   
  
"Oh." Miru ran to the bathroom and flung out her trench coat. She laid it on a bed and turned it inside out, revealing many pockets. "Let's see...he's in here somewhere..." She searched through the vast assortment of stuff.   
  
Rocking back and forth on his heels, Lieutenant Mu Flaga chanced a look within his bathroom to see if the mirror was still fogged over. His eyebrows furrowed together with concern when he noticed a pile of weaponry on the floor beside his sister's pants. _We definitely need to talk_. He thought.  
  
"Here he is!" Miru joyously exclaimed as she flung the little black and white bundle to her waiting brother.  
  
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!" Mu sorrowfully studied the mutilated body. The white fur was slightly blackened from what could have been a fire. Half of the fluffing had rotted from getting wet and some was sticking out from the torn seams. The ultimate violation was the bullet hole searing through the middle of the poor cow's body.  
  
Miru shuffled her feet nervously. "Well...ya know..." She coughed slightly.  
  
"I can't believe you'd do this to Mooser! And all this time I took such good care of your stupid cat thing!" Mu felt like this trespass of freedoms had been the ultimate betrayal.  
  
Miru shoved her jaw out and marched up to her brother. "Now look here! I took the best care that I could of your cow! Really, I did. But it wasn't easy. Sometimes when I go on missions I have nothing but the clothes on my back, so I found it hard to keep Mooser safe. Especially when I'm running through fires, sneaking through sewers or dodging bullets!"  
  
Mu's mouth hung open in astonishment. He didn't know what was more shocking. The slight revelation into his sister's common day at work or the fact that she had drug his precious plushie through so many dangerous situations.  
  
"Now, can we go get something to eat?" She was quite ticked off, so Mu obliged and decided not to mention Mooser for quite some time. The twins floated down the hallway in a strange silence until they reached the mess hall. Striding through the door with an air of command, she stopped and stood at parade rest beside the table where 'Admiral Smith' was telling of his marvelous deeds to Lieutenant Ramius over a cup of coffee. Her brother floated over to the food line to grab a few trays of edibles.   
  
"And so, there I was, facing the barrel of the gun of Amarra the space pirate when I..."  
  
"Ahem." Lieutenant Miru spoke up. "Shawn, you can quit it now." She glared down the 'Admiral'.  
  
"I beg your pardon?" Murrue stood up abruptly. "Just who do you think you are, speaking that way to an Admiral?"   
  
Miru's eyes were unusually cold. "Lieutenant Miru La Flaga, Earth Forces, Special 'C' Division. May I ask who YOU are?" She questioned defiantly.  
  
"Lieutenant Murrue Ramius, Earth Forces Sector 2, 5th Special Division. Did you say 'La Flaga'?" Murrue stood quite shocked.  
  
"Yes." Miru nodded and continued staring down 'Admiral Smith'. "Remove it now, Shawn, before I have you court marshaled. We're in friendly territory now."   
  
"Yes, ma'am." The 'Admiral' gulped. He reached up and pulled of his grey hair revealing the dark brown locks beneath it. Then, more shockingly, he began to pull of his face. After setting his face down the much younger man, maybe 26 at most, looked apologetically at Lieutenant Ramius. "Sorry, ma'am. I had to keep it up until Miru told me to. She's my boss."  
  
Miru sighed. "I wish you'd stop referring to me as that. I'm just your superior officer. This is my apprentice, Ensign Shawn Zacht, of the same company." The blonde introduced the two officers.  
  
"Uh...I'm not quite sure I understand..." Murrue looked at the two.   
  
"We'll explain later." Miru gave the acting captain a hardy slap on the back. "In the mean time...breakfast!" She sang out when she saw her brother approaching with two trays of steaming food stuffs. Gleefully she accepted one and twirled around to sit next to her Ensign. Her heart sank when she saw the meager portions, but she had heard of the Archangel's situation and knew they were on rations. She tried to put on a happy front as she gobbled down the food in what seemed like just a few seconds. Though her stomach begged for more she settled back and convinced herself she was full.  
  
--  
  
"Okay...so you're NOT actually Admiral Smith..." Ensign Badgiruel tried to sort the facts out.  
  
"No." Shawn explained for the third time. "I was pretending to be. Miru was undercover as a space pirate. She was going to trade me for a new Gundam model that ZAFT was developing, and then come back and rescue me later, but then it turns out that she used the name of an actual space pirate that was wanted by ZAFT, so they arrested us both. They were transferring us to a prison ship via shuttle when our own fleet attacked."  
  
Natarle leaned back in her seat in the captain's room. This was not making sense. She looked to Murrue and Mu for help. Then she finally glanced at Miru.  
  
Miru caught on and jumped in with the rest of the story. "See, originally the attack was supposed to be a diversion for Shawn's escape, but when I got captured things went haywire. They unknowingly shot at the shuttle. It began to malfunction and was about to explode when we were shoved into a life pod with a ZAFT soldier. While we were drifting around in space he decided to try to contact ZAFT, but I couldn't let him do that, now, could I? So that's when the brawl started. It's a little hard to fight in zero-grav, but I'll tell ya, that was one heck of a fight." She mused. "That reminds me, I need to contact headquarters, do you have a secure communications module?"   
  
Murrue sat up in her chair behind the desk. "Yes, you can use mine." With a few pushing of buttons a monitor appeared on the desk. The Lieutenant moved so Miru could take over.  
  
"Thank yee much." Miru quipped as she punched in a secret code.  
  
"The Golden Retriever has lost his stick. I repeat: the Golden Retriever has lost his stick." She spoke into the speaker.  
  
"What?" Most everyone in the room mouthed.  
  
"But what of the chew toy?" Came the reply.  
  
"The squeaky ball has slid beneath the cabinet."   
  
"Where doest the sly eagle fly?"  
  
"With the renegade from heaven."  
  
"How is the dog doo?"  
  
"Thin." Miru chuckled.  
  
"But what of the grass?"  
  
"Depleting."  
  
"Does the polar bear live in Las Vegas?"   
  
"The penguins like North Dakota."  
  
"Is the frozen fish alive?"  
  
"It wiggles down the seal's throat."  
  
"Do the birds fly?"  
  
"Their songs fill the sky."  
  
"Is the rainforest alive?"  
  
"The frogs are chirping."  
  
"The cat lives under the same roof as the dog."  
  
"Does the cat know of this?"  
  
"No, the cat looks like a dog, and the dog like a cat. And most of the time the dog is away at obedience school."  
  
"What does the dog learn?"  
  
"The ways of the cat."  
  
"Is there a collar on the dog?"  
  
"The dog would not go anywhere without it."  
  
"Where are his classes?"  
  
"The lair of the tiger."  
  
"How much wood does the woodchuck chuck?"  
  
"The woodchuck destroys a forest for only two pieces of wood."  
  
"Is the beaver necessary?"  
  
"Who else has teeth?"  
  
"Where does the Golden Retriever live?"  
  
"All dogs do not go to heaven."  
  
"Understood." Miru closed the com-link, a grim look on her face.  
  
"Okay..." Mu whistled. "Translation please!"   
  
Miru smiled. "What, you don't like secret code?"  
  
"Mu's right, can you tell us what that was all about." Natarle pointed out.  
  
"Even if a channel is secure a good spy can never be to careful." Shawn answered from his chair.  
  
"Spy?" Murrue's eyebrow shot up.  
  
Miru practically tackled Shawn and physically held his mouth shut. Pushing the officer away he spoke up for himself. "Hey, we've practically already broken our cover, so why not tell them?!" He pointed out.  
  
Miru sighed unhappily. She was sure to get a demotion for this. "All right." She finally agreed. "We're Earth spies. That's why we were undercover on a ZAFT ship." She admitted.  
  
"That much we figured out, but could you please explain that message?" Natarle crossed her arms.  
  
"All right." Miru surrendered angrily. "But none of this leaves this room, got that?!" She glared at everybody.  
  
"Sure." They all nodded their heads.   
  
"Okay, this is basically what we said:  
  
'I've failed the mission.'  
  
'What about Shawn?'  
  
'He's escaped.'  
  
'Where are you?'  
  
'On the Archangel.'  
  
'How are the food supplies?'  
  
'Not good.'  
  
'What about water?'  
  
'Not much left.'  
  
'How are conditions?'  
  
'Not ideal, but survivable.'  
  
'Is everyone doing good?'  
  
'Yes.'  
  
'How is moral?'  
  
'Good.'  
  
'Have you revealed much?'  
  
'A little.'  
  
'Your next mission is to blend in and live with the ZAFT.'  
  
'How blended should I be?'  
  
'You shall be a soldier in training.'  
  
'Training in what?'  
  
'The ways of the ZAFT soldier.'  
  
'Shall Shawn accompany me?'  
  
'Yes, take him with you and stay together.'  
  
'Where shall I train?'  
  
'Where your objective lies.'  
  
'How many mobile suits need I take?'  
  
'Two, and destroy the ship.'  
  
'Is it crucial to destroy the ship?'  
  
'That is where they are developing them, it is crucial it be brought down after you have extracted what you need.'  
  
'Where shall I return to?'  
  
'The Archangel." Miru finished. "That's pretty much word for word."  
  
"Whew." Mu whistled. "That's gotta be a thick code book you had to memorize."  
  
Miru turned to face her brother. "Actually we just make it up as we go. We never use the same code twice."  
  
"What?" Natarle spoke up. "Then how do you know what each other means?"  
  
Miru winked at the Ensign. "That's classified."  
  
Lieutenant Murrue twirled her brown hair around her finger absent-mindedly. "So, what do we do now?"  
  
Miru clapped her hands together. "We turn this ship around and head back to find the ZAFT ship, the Tiger Lily."  
  
"You've got to be joking!" Mu jumped up and floated next to her sister. "We're nearly out of supplies and you expect us to go into enemy territory?!"  
  
"It's a direct order. I suggest you follow it. I swear that this ship shall not be put under any danger. I have a plan, but I'll need to use a shuttle pod..." Miru stated.  
  
"No!" Murrue shouted abruptly. "We have civilians aboard, and our mission has priority over yours!"   
  
Miru shrugged her shoulders casually as she reached inside her shirt and withdrew a pistol. She aimed the barrel at the acting captain. "I'm afraid not, Lieutenant. You see, you fail to understand rank here. My mission is crucial to Earth's survival of this war. ZAFT is building new weapons, and I have to steal one to learn of its power. The survival of the planet overweighs that of a few civilians."  
  
"How dare you!" Murrue stepped backwards, fear quivering through her voice. "Don't you have any respect for human life?"   
  
"Miru, what are you doing?!" Mu tried to reach his sister's hand to wrestle the dangerous weapon away.  
  
"Mu, stay back. Don't make me shoot you." Miru stood her ground. Mu stood dumbfounded. "Shawn!" She called over her shoulder. "Please bring up the list of priority missions."   
  
In an instant Shawn was at the computer console, typing in passwords. Up popped a priority chart. "You see..." He began to explain. "This is the list YOU have access to, but I type in this little password, and walla!" He pointed. "See, her name is at the top of the list!"   
  
"I don't believe it!" Murrue began.  
  
"Call Alaska if you want. They'll confirm it." Miru snarled.  
  
Natarle, trained in military combat jumped unto the blonde in a desperate attempt to save her captain. Feeling she was full filling her duty she began to twist Miru's arm behind her back until she dropped the gun in pain. Smirking, the Ensign believed she had won when Miru brought her head back hard into Natarle's face. Wiping the blood from her mouth, Natarle lunged again at the girl.   
  
Murrue stood helplessly, watching the brawl before her. What would the captain have done in a situation like this? Mu and Shawn desperately tried to pull the women away from each other, only to receive a few scrapes and black eyes. Miru gave a whoop of victory as she landed a hard left hook into the Ensign's jaw. Natarle stumbled backwards before falling to the floor. Mu rushed forward to catch the Ensign.  
  
Miru spat blood from her mouth. "You're gonna get court marshaled for that!" She shouted before bending down to pick up her gun again. "This isn't a standard pistol, you fool! It's a stun gun!" She shoved the weapon in the fallen woman's face. Throwing it to the ground with distaste, Miru stood in the door, a dangerous look flashed in her eyes. "Lieutenant Ramius, I give you three hours to make your decision before I assume command of this ship." She spat and left.  
  
"And she's related to you?" Murrue shot Mu La Flaga a glance.   
  
Mu sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into her!"   
  
"Well, you better find out!"   
  
"Yes ma'am!" Mu saluted.   
  
--

A/n: Thanks, Cassidy, for the only review! I greatly appreciated it, but...um...this fic is mainly about Mu, Miru, and Shawn, so what three characters were you thinking about?

Reviews would be appreciated!!

--

Preview of Phase 03:  
  
As the Archangel is turned around, Miru and Shawn prepare themselves for their next mission. Mu decides to do a little snooping of his own. What really is up with his sister? What secrets do she really hide? Charge Into the Enemy Lines, Gundam!! 


	3. Chapter 3

Author's notes: Hello everyone, thanks for reviewing this story and being patient with it. I'm so sorry that I've taken so long to update, but some very pressing issues in real life have kept me from writing these stories that I love so much. I hope I'll find some more time this summer to keep updating my fanfics.

**Phase 03:**

Mu's blood boiled with anger as he stormed down the hallway. _Miru…what are you thinking? _A frown creased his face as he arrived at his room and opened the door. He floated into the room. "Miru?" He asked with a little more force than necessary.

There was a clumsy clunking sound and a sudden splash from his bathroom. A few moments later the door slid open, and Miru appeared, her hair soaking wet, cut in a short military cut…and blue? "It wasn't supposed to be this color!" She whined, floating through the doorway. "I mixed the dye wrong, but I'm in such a hurry…" she began to dry her head with a pristine white towel, some of the blue rubbing off, staining it.

"Miru! What on earth is going on!" Mu shouted, pounding his hand on the door console, shutting and locking the door. He stared with utter disbelief at his sister. Was that a ZAFT uniform she was wearing? Miru turned, noticing the question in his eyes as she zipped up the front of her red uniform.

"What?" She shrugged nonchalantly, reaching for her trench coat.

"I demand some answers!" Mu grabbed his sister with more force than necessary and pinned her against the wall.

Frustration crossed Miru's face, the anger rising in her voice. "You want answers? Fine! I'll give it to you straight!" She shouted at him, even though his face was merely inches from her. "I'm an Earth forces spy! I go into ZAFT territory to learn their military secrets! There! That satisfy you!"

Mu silently let go, starring in surprise at his sister. "A spy?" He said, but couldn't believe it. "But how? Why?" His voice could not mask his concern.

"I've been training for this very mission since the academy, and I'm not about to let you to get in the way!" She wiped a few stray tears from her eyes. "Mu, I'm sorry I never told you, but it was important that I keep this a secret, to keep you and me safe." Lightly her arms wrapped around him. "I'm no stranger to danger." She assured him, a light smile spreading across her face. "So are you going to help me turn this ship around or not?"

Mu stuttered for a moment. All these years, he and his twin had shared everything they never kept any secrets. This was just too much for him. All this time the life she'd told him she was living was a lie? And what else might she be hiding from him. He shook his head with disbelief. "Miru…I…"

"No, Mu. I don't want to hear it." She pressed her hand to his lips. "You have to trust me…let me go."

"But…" He paused. Miru was strapping a gun holster to her side. He looked at his sister, I mean, really looked at her for the first time in a long while. She was no longer that little girl that he could tease and protect. Her body was perfectly trained with the best military discipline, her uniform, though traitorous, was straight and perfect. She combed her now short blue hair back behind her ear. Her face held a rock hard expression. It wouldn't matter what he or anyone else would say. She was a woman on a mission, and no one could stop her. Slowly Mu floated closer to her and wrapped his arms around her and squeezed her tight, as if he was afraid that when he let go she would float away for good. "Be careful."

"I might not be able to make it back to the Archangel after completing my target…so you may not hear from me for a while, but don't worry. Someday we'll meet again." She smiled gently, returning his embrace.

She floated out into the hall to meet her partner. Shawn had also undergone some changes. Instead of the Admiral get up he had put on before he wore a ZAFT uniform, and his brown hair had been none-to-neatly dyed red. Miru laughed slightly at his slouching body posture as she handed him a ZAFT ID card. "Now, Ensign Bernard Tobeil, that's no way to act." She teased.

"Whatever, Ensign Natika Corsing." Shawn mocked. Miru adopted a look of disgust and gave Shawn an air slap. Together, with Mu trailing they made there way to the hanger where the crew had gathered. Miru had taken special care to see that the engineers had repainted and removed any obvious signs that it was an Earth vessel from a shuttle pod.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing." Natarle glared at them, her words dripping as if laced with venom.

Miru stood by the shuttle pod and surveyed the gathered crew. Briskly she saluted them all. "Thank you, Archangel, for your cooperation in this matter. I have changed the mission plans. Once we have launched you may turn back and continue on your course to Earth as planned. We will not try to return to the Archangel. However, if someday we ever do rendezvous, I hope it will be under better circumstances." She finished her salute. "Goodbye." She whispered as she ducked into the shuttle pod, her partner following.

"Miru…" Mu whispered as he watched the hatch close. "I don't want to loose you…"

Murrue glanced side ways at the Lieutenant. "La Flagga?" She asked. "Will you be alright about this?"

"She can take care of herself." Mu turned and walked out of the hanger, followed by most of the crew as they cleared the bay for takeoff.

Inside the shuttle, completing launch procedures, Miru glance out the window at him leave. When she took this job she knew it would mean forsaking any solid relationships with family or friends, but she never knew that it would hurt this much. Her heart throbbed inside her chest. "I should have told him…" She thought out loud.

"Told him what?" Shawn looked up from his seat next to her.

"Shuttle One, you have clearance to launch." A voice crackled over the com.

"Roger." Miru chocked as the shuttle shot out of the ship and into space. She wiped a tear from her eye as she looked back to Shawn. "You know what…"

Shawn sighed, gently clasping his hand on his shoulder. "The world is just not ready to believe us yet. Someday you'll be able to tell him and he'll believe you."

"Still, that Kira kid…I wonder…is he the same Yamato?" Her mind raced. "If so, does he know?"

"Stop worrying about that stuff! Right now we've got a mission!" Shawn scolded.

"You're right." Miru smiled slightly as she took over piloting the shuttle off into space.

**Preview of Phase 04:**

Miru and Shawn's mission gets off to a rocky start as the Archangel runs into some trouble of her own. What will come first in Miru's loyalties: the mission, or her heart? Can you keep your cover in the heat of your feelings in battle, Gundam!


End file.
